Injured hiker rescued by helicopter from Gothics Mt.

October 18, 2012

KEENE - An injured hiker was hoisted off Gothics Mountain in a helicopter Saturday, Oct. 13 after he fell on the slides near the Ore Bed Trail.

The male hiker was hanging onto a tree while descending the slides near the trail when the tree broke and he fell about 10 feet, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. His name, age and hometown were unavailable.

Nearby hikers came to the aid of the man, who complained about hitting his head and injuring his knee.

One of the hikers went to Adirondack Mountain Club's Johns Brook Lodge and reported the incident. Lodge staff alerted a forest ranger, initiating a rescue at 2:30 p.m.

The DEC's Johns Brook interior caretaker hiked into where the injured man was while three forest rangers went to the trailhead at the Garden parking lot in Keene Valley.

The responders determined that because of the impending cold and wet weather that a helicopter rescue was necessary. One of the forest rangers flew in a state police helicopter to Gothics Mountain.

A forest ranger was lowered from the helicopter to the hiker, who was with the interior caretaker. The hiker was then packaged and hoisted into the helicopter at about 5 p.m. and transported to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake for further treatment.

Gothics Mountain is located in the High Peaks Wilderness in the town of Keene.